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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 · face · cold · ruler · chip · pit · suit · hide

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — an illness
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pit — a hole
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — to confront
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — the Cold War

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