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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.

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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: perch · mate · deal · charge · bear · leaves · lash · straw

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. charge — electricity
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — a price
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — to handle

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