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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pop — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — letters
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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