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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. present — a gift
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. row — to paddle
  16. band — a music group
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a ring
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — soda
  24. wax — to grow

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