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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — a box
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — letters
  8. ball — a great time
  9. net — in sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — for catching
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — a container
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — the underground
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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