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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.

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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: rock · charge · mug · trunk · jam · ruler · squash · hand

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. hand — in cards
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — help
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rock — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — to crush
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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