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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. roll — a cake
  7. charge — a price
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cap — of ice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — electric
  20. spell — letters
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a lid
  24. roll — a list

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