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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. march — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. march — the month

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