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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. march — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. stem — to come from
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — a face
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — the amount
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

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