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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a friend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — soda
  12. capital — a city
  13. mate — to breed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — a face
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — decided
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — a company
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mate — a partner

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