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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · bay · face · field · shower · plane · swing · jam

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. swing — to play on
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. field — farmland
  8. squash — the sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. field — for sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. field — a subject
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. shower — rain
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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