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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: swing · file · wave · rock · safe · court · face · bear

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a document
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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