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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rash — hasty
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — obliged
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rock — a stone

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