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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: kick · charge · drill · sharp · season · lean · pop · fan

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. season — of the year
  4. drill — a practice
  5. charge — in control
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pop — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — in football
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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