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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kid — child
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — a partner
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a friend
  24. sharp — exactly

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