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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: squash · rash · sharp · hand · temple · stand · fine · tear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — help
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rash — a series
  24. temple — a place of worship

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