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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · spring · pound · lash · fan · kick · charge · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a path
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. spring — of water
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — the season
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — a song
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fan — a supporter

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