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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: rash · patient · fork · straw · game · dip · temple · squash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — to crush
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the sport

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