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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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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: squash · hide · race · rule · chest · cabinet · charge · temple

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — to crush
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. race — a contest
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — a box
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — government
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chest — of your body

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