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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.

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: charge · lash · game · wound · bound · straw · fork · lie

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — a price
  8. bound — obliged
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. fork — in a road
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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