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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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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: chip · charge · wound · plane · ball · bank · lash · content

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — a price
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a dance
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — of a river
  23. content — happy
  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