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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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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: rush · wind · last · roll · track · deal · face · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — to handle
  3. track — to keep track
  4. last — finally
  5. roll — a list
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — final
  8. roll — a cake
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. last — to go on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — a song

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