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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tear — from crying
  9. squash — to crush
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — in control
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. row — a line
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a tool
  20. tear — to rip
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. charge — electricity

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