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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. object — a thing
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — a line
  10. shower — rain
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — to protest

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