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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — clothes
  5. object — a thing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chip — to eat
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — for betting
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — to protest
  23. lean — thin
  24. race — humankind

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