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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.

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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: mark · mine · kick · last · charge · pass · foot · lean

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — finally
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. last — final
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — thin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — to go on
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a grade

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