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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. track — a path
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — for a computer

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