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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — side of the head
  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