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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ground — a position
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — crushed
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chest — a box
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. chest — of your body
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — low music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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