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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — final
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. present — there
  10. chip — for betting
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — a container
  20. charge — a price
  21. last — finally
  22. object — to protest
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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