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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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