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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for 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