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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — the amount
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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