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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — a list
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — bread
  20. pop — soda
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. face — part of the head
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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