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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. track — a song
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. game — a match
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a path
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — part of the head
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. face — to point toward
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — in control
  24. firm — decided

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