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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
468
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: face · rush · march · swing · chair · pop · stick · trunk

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pop — soda
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. face — to confront
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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