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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
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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: lean · drill · saw · present · lash · ball · court · charge

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. present — there
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — the time now
  12. court — of a king
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of law
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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