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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: cabinet · swing · tube · foot · pop · firm · face · hand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. swing — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — to visit
  13. face — to confront
  14. firm — a company
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — steady
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — music

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