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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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468
Word bank
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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — child
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — to tease
  15. court — of a king
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — to bear
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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