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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: dip · charge · chest · mine · board · pass · lash · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — to get on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — a box

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