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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 120 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: rash · kick · face · straw · bore · charge · squash · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rash — a series
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kick — in football
  23. face — to confront
  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