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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — help
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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