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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cold — an illness
  10. track — a song
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. cold — not warm
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — in control

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