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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: mouse · season · lash · drill · leaves · charge · saw · bat

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — electricity
  5. drill — a practice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — of the year
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bat — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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