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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: pitcher · bat · charge · leaves · lie · trunk · lash · court

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — for sport
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — in control
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — of a tree

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