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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · game · mine · lean · hide · plane · chip · fall

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. charge — in control
  8. plane — a tool
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lean — thin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — to eat
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — for betting

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