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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 · clip · fork · charge · rash · scale · fall · wound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — a price
  24. clip — for paper

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