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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.

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 · wake · rush · squash · can · row · leaves · hide

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — a trail
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. squash — the sport

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