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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — soda
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — music

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