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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.

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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: safe · last · rule · chest · cap · charge · squash · board

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cap — a lid
  7. last — to go on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — in control
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. last — finally
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — final
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chest — of your body

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