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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — soda
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — a stone
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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