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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: content · bulb · mug · lash · lean · drill · bat · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a face
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — army training
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. charge — a price
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lean — to bend

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