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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ball — a great time
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pop — soda

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