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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 · toast · hand · rush · squash · mate · season · fork

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hand — in cards
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — to breed
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — help
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — part of the body

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