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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mark — a grade
  24. clip — to cut

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