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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lie — an untruth

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