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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: racket · last · lash · temple · straw · tube · charge · date

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. date — the fruit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — the underground
  14. last — final
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — a container

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