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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.

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — government
  6. press — to push
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — newspapers
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — an eyelash

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