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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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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: rash · stand · last · charge · pit · present · chest · lash

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chest — a box
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. present — the time now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. charge — a price
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — there

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