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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.

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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: rule · squash · club · straw · dip · temple · stick · fan

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — to crush
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. club — for golf
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rule — to rule out

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