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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: cabinet · tear · squash · bowl · charge · arm · rash · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — to rip

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