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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
468
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: last · spell · cold · charge · game · land · drill · squash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. last — finally
  6. cold — not warm
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — a practice
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — the sport
  14. last — to go on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. drill — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — letters
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cold — an illness
  23. land — to come down
  24. last — final

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