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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. charge — a price
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. charge — electricity

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