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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — low music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a cup
  24. calf — a young animal

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