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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: lash · chip · charge · ground · pop · lean · pitcher · dip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — thin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. lean — to bend

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