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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: charge · press · cap · wave · rush · lie · rash · dip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — to push
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cap — a lid

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