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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · pass · jam · mine · clip · lash · shower · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. clip — for paper
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. clip — to cut
  12. charge — in control
  13. firm — decided
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — to wash
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — steady
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. clip — a video
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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