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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — a line
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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