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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · mark · face · bat · rush · staff · bear · club

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — a stick
  5. face — to confront
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — a company
  8. club — for golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bat — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — employees

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