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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.

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: mouse · mate · dip · land · cap · fan · swing · charge

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — a price
  18. land — ground
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — to come down
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — a country
  24. charge — electricity

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