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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: row · dip · cell · temple · stand · squash · can · leaves

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cell — a phone
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cell — in biology
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. leaves — lets stay

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