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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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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — rain
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — in control
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. foot — part of the body

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