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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: leaves · charge · last · spring · row · stock · straw · saw

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — a price
  4. last — to go on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — goods
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — shares
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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