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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.

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: stand · fine · game · squash · wound · last · kick · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — to crush
  3. game — a match
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. last — to go on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — a price
  19. kick — in football
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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