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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — soda
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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