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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — in cards
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hand — help
  22. roll — a list
  23. board — a committee
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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