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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · hide · saw · wave · spell · rash · pitch · charge

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitch — completely
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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