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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. charge — a price
  4. craft — boats
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — low music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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