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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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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: file · temple · arm · squash · saw · mug · can · band

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. mug — a face
  4. squash — to crush
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mug — a cup
  10. can — to be able to
  11. file — a tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — to rob

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