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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — to go on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lash — to lash out

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