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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
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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: pitcher · tear · squash · deal · bank · saw · charge · face

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tear — to rip
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — to crush
  18. deal — to handle
  19. face — to confront
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — a price

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