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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — electric
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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