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

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — magic
  22. hand — help
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spell — letters

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