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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: club · rash · squash · trunk · temple · ball · rock · band

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for golf
  3. band — a music group
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. club — a group
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rash — a series
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of a tree

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