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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — a gift
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — for betting
  7. present — there
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. fall — the season
  11. charge — a price
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — in control
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. present — the time now
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mark — a grade

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