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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — to rip
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — to confront
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. face — to point toward
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — in cards

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