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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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. spring — of water
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — a price

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