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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.

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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mark — a grade
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — a subject
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — for sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. bear — the animal

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