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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for dancing
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lean — to bend
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — a group
  24. rash — hasty

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