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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — steady
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — to confront
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — help
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rush — hurry
  24. firm — a company

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