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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 120 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: object · squash · chest · cabinet · saw · rock · temple · charge

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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