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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · tear · chair · pass · chip · lie

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — an untruth

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