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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rule — a law
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — government
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — a short time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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