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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · temple · hand · drill · can · prune · mark · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — army training
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — in control

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