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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.

Make a worksheet

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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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