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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 120 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 · mark · straw · bound · lash · can · charge · bark

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — in control
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. court — for sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a grade

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