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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — tied together
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chest — of your body

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