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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bat — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. row — a line
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — employees

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