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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · branch · kick · court · charge · rock · press

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kick — in football
  3. press — to push
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. court — for sport
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bulb — for light

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