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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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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: bay · charge · mate · pit · chip · rash · hand · snap

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — a partner
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — help
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — a series
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — part of the body

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