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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. suit — to fit
  13. snap — to click
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — army training
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — tied together
  20. drill — the tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — clothes

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