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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: straw · rush · foot · charge · last · rash · wound · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — a measure
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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