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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
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: toast · charge · saw · squash · rush · sharp · plane · march

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — to crush
  12. march — music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — the month
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — the sport

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