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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cold — not warm
  21. chip — to eat
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — in control
  24. prune — the fruit

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