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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — clever
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. march — music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pop — to visit

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