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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.

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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 · temple · perch · bass · wind · suit · bat · drill

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bass — the fish
  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