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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.

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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: temple · wound · mate · net · charge · lash · squash · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — government
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — in control
  16. net — in sport
  17. squash — the sport
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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