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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: lean · temple · foot · suit · stick · bay · squash · tear

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — clothes

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