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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: mine · cabinet · charge · fork · squash · lean · mate · arm

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. arm — part of the body

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