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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: straw · arm · file · bat · bulb · temple · last · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. last — final
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — the sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. file — a document
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. file — a tool
  23. last — to go on
  24. bat — the animal

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