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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a cake
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. last — final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. last — to go on
  24. foot — a measure

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