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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — there
  5. charge — in control
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — in music
  10. charge — a price
  11. spell — a short time
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. file — a line of people
  15. present — a gift
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — letters
  24. kick — in football

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