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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: coach · bulb · craft · lash · charge · wound · straw · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. craft — a skill
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — electricity

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