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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rest — a break
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lie — an untruth

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