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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — a trail
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lean — thin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — to paddle

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