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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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Word bank
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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: bowl · roll · lean · kick · rash · ball · charge · clip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — in control
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — to cut
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — a video
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — a cake
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ball — a great time
  20. roll — a list
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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