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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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468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chest — a box
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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