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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: mine · chest · stock · charge · chip · mate · lash · present

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — there
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stock — goods
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — a box
  17. present — a gift
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — the time now
  24. mine — belonging to me

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