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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: mug · clip · swing · face · stock · pop · lash · cue

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — goods
  9. pop — soda
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — a video
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mug — a face
  19. face — to confront
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — a hint

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