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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — steady
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — part of the head
  22. shower — to wash
  23. dip — to sink
  24. shower — rain

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