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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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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: squash · lash · pop · shower · stand · temple · bound · lie

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — rain
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — certain
  16. pop — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pop — soda
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — to recline

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