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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

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