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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 120 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: firm · field · calf · temple · squash · mug · stick · tube

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. firm — decided
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — farmland
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — a subject
  24. squash — to crush

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