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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.

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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: charge · fan · wave · club · calf · straw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for golf
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — dry grass

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