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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — to lash out

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