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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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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: chip · cell · charge · perch · bass · lash · hide · pass

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — to spend time

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