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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: spring · fork · fall · charge · squash · bass · fan · straw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — the season
  8. fall — the season
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — to crush

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