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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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