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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: charge · lash · rush · squash · straw · pitcher · jam · deal

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — to lash out

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