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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — electric
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — a line
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — a box
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. current — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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