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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. drill — army training
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — in control
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to dunk

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