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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. firm — decided
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — an amount
  10. face — part of the head
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — to confront
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. deal — to handle
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — to hurry
  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