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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: lash · straw · net · scale · bulb · wind · rest · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rest — a break
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — size or range
  12. net — in sport
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — after costs
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wind — to turn a key

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