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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: squash · kid · rash · charge · fall · march · last · fine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — child
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — finally
  10. march — the month
  11. last — final
  12. march — the month
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. charge — in control
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fall — the season
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — to go on

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