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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. track — to keep track
  4. craft — a skill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — boats
  7. root — the cause
  8. face — to point toward
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — a path
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — a song
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — a company
  17. pop — to visit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. firm — steady
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — a video
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — of a plant

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