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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: rash · sharp · fan · deal · charge · swing · wave · lie

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — a price
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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