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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — a series
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tube — the underground

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