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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: chip · ground · hand · charge · bank · bore · lean · roll

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. roll — a cake
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — a list
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — thin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — a price
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — a position

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