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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: bulb · charge · bound · coach · net · toast · straw · kick

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — in sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — electricity
  8. net — for catching
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — after costs
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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