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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. charge — in control
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a ring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a music group
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. shower — rain
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. firm — decided
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

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