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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 · press · pass · charge · lash · game · ground · wave

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — a price
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — to push
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — in a computer

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