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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: bay · rush · jam · nail · date · charge · court · lash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of law
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — the fruit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — 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