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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: bass · chest · squash · temple · spell · press · mouse · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — magic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chest — a box
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bass — low music
  24. rule — a law

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