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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — the season
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — a coil
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — government
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — a law
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spring — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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