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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: lash · mug · charge · mark · bat · hand · toast · key

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hand — in cards
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. key — in music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mug — a face
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — in control
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — for a lock

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