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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.

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: hand · roll · temple · spell · kick · squash · lean · mate

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hand — in cards
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. spell — magic
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hand — help
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — a short time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lean — thin

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