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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: charge · bulb · snap · chip · foot · row · squash · mine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to click
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — in control
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — a line
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — the vegetable

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