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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 · board · game · cell · snap · chest · bay · pass

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chest — a box
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. board — a committee
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to click
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a match
  24. cell — a phone

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