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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: stick · charge · lean · swing · roll · mouse · dip · wave

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. swing — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. roll — a list
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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