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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — wild animals
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — a song
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — a part of something

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