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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 116 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: charge · squash · straw · wave · bat · mug · kid · fine

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. charge — electricity
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — in control
  17. kid — child
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — all right
  21. kid — to tease
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mug — a face

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