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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: deal · temple · rush · land · bulb · squash · lie · chest

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — the sport
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chest — a box
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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