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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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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: lash · clip · mark · kick · charge · board · spring · stem

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a trace
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. clip — a video
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — electricity
  13. clip — to cut
  14. charge — a price
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. charge — in control

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