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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — soda
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to click
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sports field

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