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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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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: last · firm · bulb · cold · charge · mug · fan · dip

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — not warm
  9. last — final
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. firm — a company
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to sink
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — to go on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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