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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — hasty
  12. charge — in control
  13. clip — a video
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — a law
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. rash — a series
  22. rule — government
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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