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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — hurry
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — to come from
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — soda
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a car

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