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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — in cards
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — crushed
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — help
  15. ground — a position
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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