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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — government
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rule — a law
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rush — a thrill

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