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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — money
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — decided

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