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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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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — an aim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — for betting

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