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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: saw · sharp · bound · charge · dip · squash · wave · march

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. charge — in control
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. saw — the tool

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