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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: racket · kick · toast · lie · charge · can · mate · bat

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. charge — a price
  22. kick — in football
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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