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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hand — help
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. snap — to click
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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