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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — of the year
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — government
  12. craft — boats
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — a law
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — a thrill

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