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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.

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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: court · mug · rule · charge · pop · squash · wave · face

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. face — to confront
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — music
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — a law
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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