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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — the amount
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kick — in football
  23. fall — the season
  24. rock — music

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