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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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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: deal · chip · club · spell · lash · band · stick · charge

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — a group
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — magic
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — a price
  23. band — a music group
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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