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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. snap — to click
  13. band — a music group
  14. march — the month
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — to bear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. charge — in control
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — a sauce
  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