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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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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: snap · bank · kid · fan · pass · lash · charge · content

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. content — happy
  5. charge — a price
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to click
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. charge — in control
  20. content — the amount
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — a permit

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