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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — a break
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a ring
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pop — soda
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a music group
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — to keep track

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