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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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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: face · date · firm · rest · fall · squash · swing · hide

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — the season
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fall — to drop
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — a company
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rest — a break

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