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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: swing · cue · fall · row · pit · bass · mate · face

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. row — a line
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fall — the season
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — a partner

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