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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.

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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: wake · bass · lie · firm · face · chair · toast · swing

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. swing — music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. toast — bread
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — an untruth

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