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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — soda
  10. wind — moving air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — the sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mine — for digging
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — in cards
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — to visit

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