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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. charge — in control
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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