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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · band · object · charge · squash · face · clip · bass

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — in control
  7. clip — to cut
  8. object — a thing
  9. charge — electricity
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to point toward
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — to confront
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. kick — in football

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