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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 need to ________________ round.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — the fruit

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