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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cap — a hat
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — the earth
  23. track — a path
  24. face — to point toward

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