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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — soda
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — to handle
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — a price

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