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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. charge — in control
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — an illness
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — a price
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. kick — in football
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. leaves — of a tree

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