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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. present — there
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — thin
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — help
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — a sauce

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