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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. charge — in control
  14. mate — a friend
  15. branch — a division
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — a price
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — a skill

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