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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 116 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: band · face · squash · charge · fan · stand · hide · stick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. face — to confront
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a music group
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — to bear
  15. charge — in control
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a ring
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — the sport
  24. band — a rubber band

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