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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — soda
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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