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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: safe · track · spring · straw · charge · lash · ball · wound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spring — the season
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lash — to lash out

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