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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — a partner
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — to wash
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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