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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lie — to recline
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — a cake
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a list
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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