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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. land — ground
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — happening now
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — a country
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — a weight
  17. current — of water
  18. land — to come down
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — a sauce

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