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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — soda
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — low music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — for digging

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