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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. safe — out of danger

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