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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 · charge · snap · sharp · mug · firm · stick · lean

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mug — a cup
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to click
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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