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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · hide · snap · wound · game · firm · can · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. firm — steady
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a match
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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