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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — a line
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — in control
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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