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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: stick · face · stand · shower · arm · track · squash · temple

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. squash — the sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. track — to keep track
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — a song
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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