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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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468
Word bank
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. root — of a word
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — for betting
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — electricity

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