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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
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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: snap · charge · season · cell · sharp · cue · last · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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 dunk
  2. cell — a phone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — to go on
  5. cue — a signal
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cue — for pool
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — finally
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. last — final
  23. season — in sport
  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