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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — government
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. file — a document
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — a law
  24. dip — to sink

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