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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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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: bowl · fall · chair · race · temple · squash · craft · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. 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. bowl — a dish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. race — humankind
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. race — the arms race
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — a contest
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. 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