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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: chip · bank · charge · mate · cell · wind · bore · lie

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bore — to tire

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