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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · ground · dip · snap · charge · swing · spell · lean

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to click
  6. lean — to bend
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spell — letters
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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