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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: mark · rush · mug · charge · mate · perch · shower · swing

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mug — a face
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — hurry
  15. shower — rain
  16. mug — a cup
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. charge — a price
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a trace
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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