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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pop — soda
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — a video
  10. spring — of water
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pop — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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