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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: dip · charge · bound · cold · mug · cabinet · snap · lie

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cold — not warm
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — a price
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mug — a face
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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