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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — soda

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