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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: roll · wound · bat · press · charge · lash · spell · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — an injury
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — to push
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bat — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — letters
  24. staff — employees

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