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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — a lid
  17. capital — money
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cap — of ice
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. capital — a city
  24. lash — to lash out

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