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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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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: charge · cap · key · toast · wind · cue · track · lash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — in music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cue — a signal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a song
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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