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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: dip · band · land · wake · mug · squash · suit · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a face
  6. land — ground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a music group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — to come down
  24. squash — to crush

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