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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 120 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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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: calf · face · squash · swing · temple · drill

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. face — to confront
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. swing — in golf
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — a practice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. squash — the sport

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