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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — a price
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wound — an injury

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