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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: charge · straw · can · plane · leaves · lash · content · roll

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. roll — a list
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — a tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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