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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of a king
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. face — to confront
  12. plane — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. court — of law

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