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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — to sit on

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