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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
468
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: tear · wound · squash · chip · charge · key · rash · leaves

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — for a lock
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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