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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — of the year
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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