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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
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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 · chest · saw · tube · safe · lash · temple · bat

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — a container
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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