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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — a stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lean — to bend
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — rain
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — to wash

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