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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. band — a music group
  5. hand — help
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — in cards
  10. band — a ring
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — a price
  16. mug — a face
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chip — for betting

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