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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: chip · charge · arm · lash · pit · can · squash · drill

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. arm — 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