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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. shower — rain
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — the most important part
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. last — finally
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. key — in music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — for a lock

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