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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: hide · race · temple · charge · rash · bore · spell · stand

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — a series
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. charge — a price
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spell — letters
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — magic
  16. charge — in control
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — humankind
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bore — to drill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — electricity

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