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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: charge · saw · chip · lash · wound · shower · dip · ground

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. dip — a sauce

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