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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. net — in sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. charge — in control
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — a break
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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