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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 · game · wake · kick · content · lash · arm

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. game — wild animals
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — electricity
  19. content — the amount
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — in football
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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