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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 120 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: squash · key · bound · stem · kid · trunk · mouse · charge

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bound — obliged
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — a price
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. key — the most important part

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