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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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