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

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. charge — a price
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bank — of a river
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. charge — in control
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — final

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