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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.

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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 need to ________________ round.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — to wash
  18. drill — army training
  19. spell — a short time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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