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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. pop — soda
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — to visit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — magic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — for a bird

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