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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 120 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: face · ball · wind · rest · staff · swing · mine · pass

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. swing — in golf
  7. face — to point toward
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. face — to confront
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a dance

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