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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a face
  3. pop — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — a break
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — there
  13. mug — to rob
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rest — what's left

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