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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mine — for digging
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — a coil
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — a grade
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spring — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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