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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — money
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — in control
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — a committee
  24. lean — thin

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