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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: fan · face · mug · charge · lash · saw · firm · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — in control
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mug — to rob
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — a face
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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