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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kid — to tease
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mate — to breed

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