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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mug — a cup
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — rain
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — to rob
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mug — a face
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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