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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: march · charge · rest · plane · fan · arm · toast · lash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. march — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — a tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — electricity
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — what's left

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