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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — of ice
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pop — to visit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. trunk — of a car

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