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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 120 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: swing · mouse · lash · charge · board · tube · kick · fall

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a committee
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tube — a container
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. swing — music

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