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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: dip · lash · charge · kick · rash · branch · capital · pitcher

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rash — a series
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. capital — a city
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kick — in football
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — electricity
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — money
  24. branch — a division

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