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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — a container
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — help
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. arm — 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