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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: arm · rest · pass · lash · mug · fall · plane · charge

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. charge — a price
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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