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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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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: ruler · pop · bass · wind · rush · present · face · pit

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — a gift
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — soda
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. present — the time now
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — low music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a hole

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