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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: court · swing · lean · lash · present · spring · bowl · face

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. face — part of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of law
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. present — the time now
  16. lean — thin
  17. present — a gift
  18. face — to point toward
  19. present — there
  20. spring — of water
  21. swing — to play on
  22. court — of a king
  23. spring — a coil
  24. court — for sport

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