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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. last — final
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. pop — to visit

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