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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — electric
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — a price
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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