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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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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: cold · squash · charge · key · board · snap · pass · kid

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cold — an illness
  15. board — to get on
  16. cold — not warm
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — a price

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