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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
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: charge · bulb · fall · straw · lean · lash · ground · field

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. fall — the season
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — the earth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — a subject
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — in control
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  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