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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: squash · press · charge · cap · kick · mouse · rule · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — government
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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