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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — soda
  10. game — a match
  11. spring — of water
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rock — music

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