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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — boats
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — thin
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitch — completely
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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