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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — hasty
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — a stone
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pop — music
  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