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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — a phone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — in sport
  14. last — final
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in biology
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — 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