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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 116 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
468
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: straw · land · fall · club · ball · calf · charge · lash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. land — ground
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — a group
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — electricity
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — an eyelash

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