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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bank — of a river

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