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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pop — soda
  24. hand — help

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