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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: charge · tear · safe · ground · board · jam · row · lash

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a committee
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a line
  6. tear — to rip
  7. charge — in control
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — crushed
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — to paddle
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — a position
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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