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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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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 · lash · snap · charge · last · rash · rest · court

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — a price
  4. rest — a break
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — for sport
  7. last — to go on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — finally
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. charge — in control

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