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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — to sink
  24. temple — a place of worship

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