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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — in control
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — electricity
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. charge — a price
  20. season — in sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — a stone

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