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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: saw · charge · perch · content · lash · chip · straw · nail

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — the fish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — the amount
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — electricity

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