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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — to bear
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — for catching
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. face — to confront
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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