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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 120 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: object · mate · bat · last · kick · ruler · squash · charge

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — a price
  4. last — finally
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — to go on
  11. object — a thing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — in control
  23. squash — to crush
  24. charge — electricity

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