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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.

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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: temple · rock · swing · hand · land · saw · squash · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — a country
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — help
  14. rest — a break
  15. land — ground
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. land — to come down
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — the tool

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