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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 120 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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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: mouse · swing · bear · bowl · cold · club · bay · face

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cold — an illness
  13. club — for dancing
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bear — the animal

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