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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — to wash

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