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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: nail · straw · fall · squash · mark · lie · row · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. fall — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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