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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · squash · temple · arm · land · cabinet · leaves · dip

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — ground
  9. dip — to sink
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. land — to come down
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. land — a country
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  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