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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to click
  6. branch — a division
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. squash — the sport
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. spell — letters
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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