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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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. chair — a leader
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. race — a contest
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — help
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — in control
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — a price
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. race — the arms race

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