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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — a price
  7. file — a line of people
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a document
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chip — to eat

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