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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a song
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — to confront
  10. degree — temperature
  11. squash — the sport
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. firm — steady

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