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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.

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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: hand · mouse · rash · wake · swing · suit · nail · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — to point toward
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — for a hammer

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