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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: band · wake · stick · jam · swing · fine · mouse · face

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to confront
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. band — a music group
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a ring
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. band — a rubber band

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