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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: spell · chair · dip · charge · sharp · file · deal · mug

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — a price
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — to sink
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. chair — a leader
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — magic

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