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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fall — the season
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — a trail

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