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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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