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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — to wash
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lie — to recline
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rule — a law
  12. pop — soda
  13. rule — government
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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