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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — thin
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — letters

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