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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. row — a line
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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