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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 116 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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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: stick · charge · key · rush · firm · board · squash · spell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spell — letters
  18. firm — steady
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — magic
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — hurry

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