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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: wave · spell · bore · lash · charge · season · kid · straw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — in sport
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kid — child
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spell — letters
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. spell — magic

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