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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — in golf
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — to play on

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