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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. file — a document
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. file — a tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stem — of a plant

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