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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — a coil
  6. shower — rain
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — the season
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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