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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.

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: board · wind · bear · hide · mug · mate · squash · charge

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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