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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. present — the time now
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — there
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — thin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — a contest
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — humankind

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