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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · lash · row · can · spell · patient · charge

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — in control
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — a price
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — a straw man

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