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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.

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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to click
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fine — all right
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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