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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
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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: lash · bound · current · charge · cue · squash · tear · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — happening now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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