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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — for sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — soda
  12. mine — for digging
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. root — of a word
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pop — to visit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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