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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. staff — a stick
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. charge — a price
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. row — to paddle
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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