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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. firm — steady
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — a line
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — a company
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. face — to point toward

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