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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — there
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — child
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — of water
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. present — the time now
  19. chip — for betting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — hurry
  23. present — a gift
  24. hand — in cards

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