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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — of water
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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