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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: squash · present · bear · temple · hand · bat · cabinet · wound

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hand — help
  20. present — the time now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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