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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to bend
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — soda
  10. lean — thin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pop — to visit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wind — moving air

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