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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · chip · face · charge · key · rush · stand

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — to eat
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — to confront
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — part of the head

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