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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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Word bank
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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: cold · cue · charge · present · cell · kick

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — the time now
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — a gift
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. charge — a price
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — there
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cell — in biology
  15. kick — in football
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. kick — a thrill

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