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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: game · squash · temple · drill · hide · bass · mouse · row

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — wild animals
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — army training
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. row — a line
  24. mouse — the animal

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