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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 · saw · suit · scale · foot · chest · wound · squash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. scale — size or range
  14. charge — a price
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chest — a box
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. squash — to crush

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