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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — the sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — child
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — to visit
  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