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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pop — soda
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. key — in music
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — of a bank

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