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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — rain
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. march — 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