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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. shower — rain
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rock — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — all right
  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