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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — a price
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — high quality

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