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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pop — soda
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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