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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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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: charge · straw · squash · mine · object · last · cabinet · season

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — a price
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. last — final
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mine — for digging
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mine — belonging to me

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