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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: cabinet · degree · spring · bear · rush · foot · charge · squash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. foot — a measure
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. squash — to crush
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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