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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.

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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: swing · kick · squash · arm · bowl · stem · temple · ball

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — in football
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — music
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a dance

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