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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 116 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
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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: lash · straw · leaves · spell · charge · dip · suit · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — electricity
  8. suit — clothes
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — farmland
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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