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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — boats
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — soda
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — the cause
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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