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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: bass · root · swing · straw · bowl · bear · face · bulb

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a dish

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