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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 120 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — for pool
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. drill — army training
  15. deal — to handle
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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