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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. present — a gift
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — there
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — to go on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. last — final
  15. charge — a price
  16. last — finally
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — for a hammer

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