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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chip — for betting
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — a division
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — to eat

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