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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — for betting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — to eat
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chip — in a computer

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