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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. firm — steady
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. scale — in music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bore — to drill

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