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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. charge — a price
  3. court — of a king
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kid — to tease
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. charge — in control
  11. branch — a division
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kid — child
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — a line
  24. branch — of a tree

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