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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a music group
  4. present — a gift
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mate — a friend
  7. face — part of the head
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — there
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — clothes
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. face — to point toward

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