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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chest — a box
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — in football
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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