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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. band — a ring
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — a publisher
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a music group
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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