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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.

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: rush · season · spell · tear · charge · bulb · kick · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — in football
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — in control
  13. spell — magic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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