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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: racket · lash · court · prune · charge · wound · lean · straw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — electricity
  13. court — for sport
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — the fruit

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