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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — for betting
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  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