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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: bear · spring · track · charge · ground · hand · chip · lash

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — help
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — of water

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