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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — happening now

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