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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: court · branch · lash · can · tube · straw · charge · hand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. court — of a king
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — for sport
  24. branch — 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