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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. shower — to wash
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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