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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: mouse · kid · spring · squash · perch · rash · temple · suit

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kid — to tease
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — a series
  10. spring — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. suit — in cards
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. squash — the sport

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