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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to click
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — to visit

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