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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.

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: club · lash · foot · mug · saw · charge · spell · straw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spell — a short time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — electricity
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — a group
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — a face

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