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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. charge — a price
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — the animal

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