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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 · bear · squash · fan · kick · temple · safe · spring

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — a partner
  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