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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — help
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — a price
  20. rash — a series
  21. tube — a container
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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