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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.

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: season · charge · rash · sharp · present · dip · wind · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rash — a series
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — clever
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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