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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: squash · rash · lie · rock · charge · ruler · straw · mouse

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — in control
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — a stone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mouse — the animal

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