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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: suit · chest · rush · march · squash · track · fall · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — the season
  5. suit — clothes
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rush — hurry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chest — of your body
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. march — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. march — the month
  21. chest — a box
  22. track — a song
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — in control

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