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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: wound · face · arm · rest · rush · squash · present · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — a gift
  17. rest — a break
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — there
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. arm — part of the body

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