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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — in control
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. mug — to rob
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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