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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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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: charge · rule · net · rest · toast · foot · squash · clip

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rule — a law
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — bread
  16. clip — a video
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — a measure

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