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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a cake
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — hasty
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — soda
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. roll — a list
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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