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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — to wash
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ball — a dance

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