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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 · hide · pitcher · race · stand · march · temple

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. squash — to crush
  9. race — a contest
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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