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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: deal · track · squash · hand · temple · lie · game · mouse

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — help
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — to keep track

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