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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spell — a short time
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — completely
  16. shower — rain
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — soda
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — to wash

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