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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — magic
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — a country
  7. spell — letters
  8. land — to come down
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. court — for sport

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