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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: rush · charge · wave · racket · hand · board · season · straw

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — help
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — hurry
  15. board — to get on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a flat piece

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