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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.

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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: ball · charge · cell · squash · stem · wave · wind · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a dance
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — to turn a key

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