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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: stand · bark · press · leaves · lash · charge · shower · straw

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — rain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — a price
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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