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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rule — government
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rule — a law
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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