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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. kick — in football
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to sink
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — for a hammer

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