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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 116 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 · present · lash · pop · ball · scale · face · stick

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — there
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. present — a gift
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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