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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: charge · drill · wave · squash · field · object · dip · wound

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — a practice
  9. squash — the sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — a price
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — army training
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — an aim
  24. field — a subject

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