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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 · pop · fork · mate · rash · charge · band · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — in control
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mate — to breed
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mate — a friend

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