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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — a group
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to click
  19. club — for golf
  20. staff — employees
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wind — moving air

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