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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. present — there
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chip — to eat
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. charge — in control

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