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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — magic
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. season — in sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — a short time
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. scale — in music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spell — letters

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