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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 120 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: charge · content · tear · rock · snap · chip · mug · lash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — a face
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. content — happy
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. content — videos and posts

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