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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — to be able to
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. squash — the sport

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