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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.

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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: bound · root · straw · bulb · charge · coach · lash · season

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. season — of the year
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — electricity
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — of a word

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