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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.

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: saw · squash · bass · swing · shower · cap · board · temple

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — to get on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — a lid
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — to crush
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — music

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