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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: lash · bay · press · last · calf · chip · charge · arm

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chip — to eat
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — final
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — finally
  14. charge — a price
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — in control

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