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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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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bass — the fish
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — a company

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