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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — to confront
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of a king
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — music
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — part of the head
  24. squash — to crush

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