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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — after costs
  15. chip — to eat
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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