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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. wake — a trail
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — a division
  24. cabinet — ministers

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