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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — not warm
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — a price
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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