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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to click
  13. pop — music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cell — a phone

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