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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 124 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — a face
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — in control
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — help
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rash — a series
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — letters
  24. lie — an untruth

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