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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. staff — employees
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — an agreement

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