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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: bat · wound · row · ruler · charge · stick · lash · jam

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — an injury
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. charge — a price
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lash — an eyelash

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