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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.

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: tube · cold · squash · lie · cap · leaves · temple · mouse

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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