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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a great time
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — for money
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spell — magic
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to confront

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