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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
468
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: season · wave · squash · fork · charge · craft · staff · content

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. content — happy
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fork — in a road
  7. staff — employees
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. season — in sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — of the year
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — boats
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — in control
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fork — a garden tool

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