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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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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: coach · fork · pit · squash · charge · wave · rash · wind

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — in control
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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