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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — the amount
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. squash — the vegetable

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