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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: dip · deal · bark · charge · trunk · spell · chip · rash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — an agreement

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