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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
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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: toast · lean · squash · board · root · land · wound · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wound — an injury
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — the cause
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — thin
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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