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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: snap · charge · straw · racket · bulb · bear · lie · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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