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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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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — a price
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — in football
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — to crush
  21. current — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — to lash out

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