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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — in control
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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