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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.

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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a match
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — after costs
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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