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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. charge — in control
  11. root — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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