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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — bread
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a dance
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. face — to confront
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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