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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · court · ruler · rash · clip · squash · lean · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rash — a series
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — to bend

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