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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · rash · squash · chair · charge · stand · pop · swing

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — a series
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. swing — to play on

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