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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — decided
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fall — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. firm — a company
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. firm — steady
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — a tight spot

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