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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.

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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: saw · squash · mug · march · charge · rush · wound · nail

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. march — the month
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a face
  13. squash — to crush
  14. charge — in control
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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