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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
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: scale · bat · mouse · lie · shower · temple · hand · squash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bat — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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