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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — to rip
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pop — soda
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. firm — decided
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pop — to visit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — a thrill

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