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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cell — in biology

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