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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.

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: rash · charge · cue · straw · mug · present · wave · leaves

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. present — there
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a face
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. cue — for pool

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