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

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. file — a document
  24. cell — in a prison

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