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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: chest · charge · fine · spring · squash · plane · key · rush

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — all right
  20. chest — a box
  21. charge — in control
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — electricity

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