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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · drill · squash · temple · arm · net

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. net — after costs
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. arm — a part of something

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