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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: kid · fan · squash · arm · rush · fine · charge · mate

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — to breed
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — child
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — all right

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