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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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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: cue · cold · charge · tube · chip · bore · snap · present

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to click
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — in control
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — for pool
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cold — an illness
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — a price

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