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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. toast — the most admired

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