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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · season · swing · face · lash · race · charge · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. race — humankind
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. race — a contest
  7. charge — a price
  8. swing — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. race — the arms race
  17. season — in sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. swing — in golf
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com