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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chip — to eat
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fork — in a road
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. roll — a list
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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