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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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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: net · squash · charge · race · toast · mark · deal · lash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. toast — bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — for catching
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — humankind
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — a contest
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. race — the arms race
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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