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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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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: snap · mug · cue · ground · charge · lean · chip · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — a signal
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — a face
  13. ground — the earth
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — to come down
  17. charge — in control
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ground — a position
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to click

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