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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · charge · lash · bulb · staff · rash · row · pass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — on the skin

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