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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.

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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. track — to keep track
  9. snap — to click
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. land — to come down
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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