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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — thin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. charge — electricity

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