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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 116 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: dip · charge · squash · pound · mark · hand · march · spell

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pound — a weight
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — letters
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to dunk

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