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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — a hole
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a grade
  19. snap — to click
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — thin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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