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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: squash · tear · ball · charge · hide · fork · arm · hand

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — in control
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a dance
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a great time

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