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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 · chair · charge · key · pop · stem · rush · fan

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — to sit on

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