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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pop — soda
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. squash — the sport

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