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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · spring · hand · temple · nail · bear · fall · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — the season
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — the season
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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