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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: rush · squash · mug · mouse · firm · can · charge · bat

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — a company
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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