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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. charge — in control
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — a face
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — of a plant

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