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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: stick · lie · swing · rush · wake · bear · face · rock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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