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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: lash · charge · staff · court · key · march · lean · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — a stick
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — for sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — a price
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of law
  18. march — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — help

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