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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — for pool
  9. charge — in control
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a hint

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