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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.

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: charge · spring · perch · rash · straw · present · wave · coach

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — there
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. present — a gift
  11. spring — of water
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — a price
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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