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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: net · wave · bore · swing · fine · rash · charge · straw

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — in sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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