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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — soda
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — the most important part

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