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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · coach · tear · dip · wave · firm · charge · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — electricity
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — a company
  11. tear — to rip
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — a face
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a cup

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