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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pop — soda
  7. band — a music group
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — a coil
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a ring

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