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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — for a lock
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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