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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spell — magic
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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