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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: rush · lie · object · charge · swing · calf · straw · fine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. fine — all right
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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