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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a face
  10. firm — decided
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pop — to visit
  23. firm — a company
  24. lie — an untruth

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