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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: date · ball · face · current · snap · rule · swing · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. swing — in golf
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — happening now
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to point toward
  8. swing — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — of water
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rule — a law
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. face — to confront
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — to play on
  21. face — part of the head
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — the fruit

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