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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — soda
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — a container

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