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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — the most admired

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