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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — there
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — soda
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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