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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · squash · object · charge · bear · season

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. kid — child
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — an aim
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — electricity
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. charge — in control
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. object — to protest

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