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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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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 · lash · racket · chair · roll · jam · squash · stick

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a list

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