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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: snap · wave · pass · charge · leaves · roll · saw · straw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — a straw man

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