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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: kid · lash · snap · rest · foot · rash · bat · charge

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — a break
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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