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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: wake · patient · squash · arm · charge · deal · lie · row

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lie — to recline
  24. deal — a big deal

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