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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: bay · band · squash · craft · rush · charge · rock · spell

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — boats
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — in control
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. craft — a skill
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. band — a music group
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — electricity
  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