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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — the season
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — in control
  24. wax — in the ear

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