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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to bend
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — thin
  17. last — to go on
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — final
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — finally
  23. band — a music group
  24. charge — a price

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