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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.

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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: bass · track · wound · charge · temple · pass · hand · squash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — a song
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — a place of worship

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