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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chair — a leader
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. march — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — a break

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