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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tube — the underground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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