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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pop — soda
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mouse — the animal

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