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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · court · march · bat · charge · staff · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of a king
  14. bat — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of law
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — in control
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — a signal

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