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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — to confront
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pound — a weight
  17. face — part of the head
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rash — a series
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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