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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — in control
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spell — letters
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  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