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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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468
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — a list
  19. band — a music group
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a rubber band

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