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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.

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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: temple · squash · racket · hide · field · chair · ruler · lean

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. field — farmland
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — thin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. field — for sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ruler — a monarch

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