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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: rock · kick · charge · arm · fall · wind · rash · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rock — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — a series
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a great time

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