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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 120 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: charge · wind · kid · lash · wave · kick · shower · mark

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — in control
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — rain
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kid — to tease
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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