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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
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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: bulb · racket · trunk · patient · charge · mug · straw · lean

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — to bend
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — for light

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