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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cold — not warm
  24. plane — a tool

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