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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitch — completely
  24. plane — in geometry

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