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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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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: swing · fine · charge · wave · dip · lie · face · wound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. face — to confront
  3. fine — all right
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — an injury

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