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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. spring — the season
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — in football
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — thin
  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