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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: charge · fan · ruler · rest · last · kick · rash · branch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — to go on
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — a division
  8. rash — a series
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — final
  24. rest — what's left

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