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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — to paddle
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bulb — for light
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a line
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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