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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — child
  12. bound — obliged
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pop — to visit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. face — to confront
  18. charge — electricity
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — in control
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pop — soda
  24. prune — the fruit

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