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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · rule · charge · perch · kick · bark · current · lash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — electric
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. current — happening now
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. kick — in football
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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