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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · temple · lean · bulb · arm · content · rash · hide

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rash — hasty
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — a series
  24. content — videos and posts

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