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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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