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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: swing · press · chip · stem · charge · date · lash · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — the fruit
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. firm — steady
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — a company
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chip — for betting

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