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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — a leader
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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