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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · kick · staff · rash · stand · face · fine · rush

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — all right
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to confront
  24. kick — in football

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