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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — a committee
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to hurry

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