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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: bound · rash · squash · wind · lie · temple · season · march

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. season — of the year
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — the month

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