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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pop — soda
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — a line
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — 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