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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to click
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mug — to rob
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — a permit
  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