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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — a price
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spring — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pop — soda
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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