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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — a song
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — a path
  19. stem — to come from
  20. content — the amount
  21. pop — music
  22. content — happy
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — to move gently

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