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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: spell · kick · race · bank · chip · row · squash · charge

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kick — in football
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — magic
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. row — a line
  24. bank — for money

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