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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: kick · ground · lash · swing · charge · wax · leaves · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. wax — to grow
  5. swing — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. charge — a price
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wax — in the ear

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