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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 124 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pop — soda
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a dance

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