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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spell — magic
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a friend

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