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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
468
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: wax · lash · season · bass · row · chip · charge · kid

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — child
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. charge — in control
  18. season — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wax — to grow

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