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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: stick · roll · ground · rush · firm · rock · date · wave

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — to hurry

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