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

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. temple — side of the head

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