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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — to be able to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kick — in football
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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