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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.

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: kick · last · pound · cue · season · rash · charge · hide

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. last — final
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. season — in sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. last — finally
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. charge — a price

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