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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: swing · fork · chip · bay · straw · lean · content · charge

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — the amount
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. charge — a price
  7. content — happy
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — to eat
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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