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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hand — help
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. present — there
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — in control
  14. present — the time now
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — a price
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — to protest
  24. face — to point toward

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