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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 120 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: charge · cold · kick · kid · mark · bass · firm · leaves

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — in control
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bass — low music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — child

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