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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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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. craft — a skill

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