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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: chip · mine · saw · foot · charge · wave · cue · arm

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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