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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kick — in football
  24. wind — moving air

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