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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pop — soda
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — clothes
  23. charge — a price
  24. hide — to keep secret

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