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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 124 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to tire
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a line
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — to paddle

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