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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 120 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: hand · fine · row · net · charge · snap · chip · band

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — in control
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a music group
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — help
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to click
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — in sport
  16. band — a ring
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — for catching
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — a price
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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