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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to confront
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to point toward
  24. patient — a sick person

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