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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.

Make a worksheet

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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — soda
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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