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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to sink
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. court — of a king
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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