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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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — a match
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — a price
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — a skill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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