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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · face · club · foot · squash · fine · wave · season

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — all right
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — for golf
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — of the year
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. face — to confront
  16. season — in sport
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. club — a group
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — part of the head

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