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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a committee
  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