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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: chair · wind · lash · ground · snap · club · rush · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. snap — to click
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for golf
  15. ground — crushed
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — to sit on

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