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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — all right
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spell — magic
  14. hand — help
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — to visit

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