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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 116 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: bowl · rule · wake · lash · swing · mouse · charge · lean

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — in control
  15. rule — a law
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — government
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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