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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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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: wind · content · board · lash · charge · tube · deal · saw

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — in control
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. content — happy
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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