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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · lash · court · kick · rock · mug · charge · leaves

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — in control
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — electricity
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — in football
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — a price
  24. leaves — to go away

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