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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — soda
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. march — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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