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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 120 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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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: club · race · squash · lean · stand · bay · temple · shower

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — a contest
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — rain
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — a group
  24. race — the arms race

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