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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.

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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: lash · saw · lie · charge · net · squash · mark · fan

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — for catching
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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