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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
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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 · bank · calf · squash · band · spring · saw · straw

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. squash — to crush
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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