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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.

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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: firm · swing · pass · dip · bore · tear · lash · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. firm — decided
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — a price
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lash — an eyelash

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