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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — a measure
  9. last — to go on
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — finally
  14. shower — to wash
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. last — final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. temple — a place of worship

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