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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — in football
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. row — a line
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. face — to confront
  17. firm — steady
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. row — to paddle

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