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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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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — a group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stand — to bear
  21. club — for golf
  22. roll — a cake
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — letters

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