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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: rock · hand · face · track · perch · rush · sharp · stand

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. track — a path
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. track — a song
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hand — help
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — in cards

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