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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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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spell — a short time
  10. charge — a price
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — in control
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. firm — decided

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