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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — a box
  6. squash — to crush
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. pop — soda
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pop — to visit
  20. club — for dancing
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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