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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 124 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a grade
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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