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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. charge — a price
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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